A small warship glided silently across the shimmering sea, its sails catching the salty breeze.
Alex gripped the White Dragon sword tightly in both hands, its blade gleaming under the sun. Under his magnetic control, the sword weighed as heavy as a thousand pounds, a crushing burden.
Holding the sword in his hands, the veins on his arms bulged like writhing earthworms coiled beneath his skin, and he tirelessly performed the simplest sword-swinging motions, each strike deliberate and fierce.
On one hand, he honed his swordsmanship with relentless precision, and on the other, he forged his body's strength, training both in perfect harmony.
Although Alex had been in this One Piece dimension for half a year, and had already begun mastering the basics of Shave and Armament Haki, Alex still devoted countless hours to swordsmanship.
Firstly, Alex refused to abandon his swordsmanship practice. After all, he was determined to keep wielding close-combat techniques like the Dugu Nine Swords, his blade an extension of his will.
Besides, the swordsmanship in the One Piece dimension boasted its own unique flair. For Alex, the Dugu Nine Swords was like a towering castle in the sky, lacking the foundational swordsmanship knowledge. So, it was entirely worthwhile to study the sword techniques of this world anew.
Lily, also burdened with training weights, was practicing frog jumps with her hands clasped behind her back, sweat pouring down her face, yet her delicate features radiated unyielding determination, never once uttering a word of exhaustion.
Of course, Alex had known Lily for so long, but he had never heard her speak, her silence a quiet strength.
"The lieutenant's dedication is unreal—no wonder he became a lieutenant so young," a Navy soldier on the warship marveled, watching Alex's intense training with wide-eyed admiration.
It had been nearly two months since they left Marineford Headquarters, and the crew had witnessed Alex's grueling practice every day for the past two months.
"Genius is 99% sweat and 1% talent. That saying about Lieutenant Alex, the super-genius, is all the rage back at Headquarters," another sailor declared, gazing at Alex with fervent respect.
"These past days, we've crushed three pirate crews in a row, including one with a 10-million-Belly bounty. With the lieutenant's battle record, he's bound to get another promotion when we return, right?" Reflecting on Alex's feats over the past two months, a sailor said, envy lacing his voice.
Alex overheard the sailors' chatter, but their words only prompted a subtle shake of his head, a private smirk tugging at his lips.
Perhaps because the original One Piece story centered on the Straw Hat Pirates, even pirates with bounties of tens or hundreds of millions were often reduced to nameless grunts in that tale.
Thus, Alex felt no pride in cutting down pirates with bounties of mere millions or even tens of millions, their defeats barely a ripple in his ambitions.
After training wrapped up, Alex caught his breath, panting heavily, and rested for a moment, his gaze drifting to Lily nearby, where the crystal meter emitted a soft, glowing pulse.
Soon, Lily's crystal points appeared before Alex: 48.
"Well, Lily's been training hard lately, and her growth's impressive." Noting the number on the crystal meter, Alex nodded to himself, satisfied, then turned the device to measure his own crystal points once more.
98!
Seeing this number, a faint grin curved Alex's lips, a spark of pride igniting within.
It had been half a year since he arrived in One Piece. Six months of relentless training had yielded clear progress, his strength climbing steadily.
The 98 crystal points signaled he was on the cusp of joining the ranks of third-level Awakened, a milestone within reach.
"Lieutenant, there's a snow island up ahead," a lookout sailor called out to Alex at that moment, pointing to the horizon.
"Snow island? Steer closer and see if we can hunt some game. Supplies are running low on the warship. Oh, and gather some snow for water." Realizing they hadn't restocked in half a month, Alex ordered, his tone calm but decisive.
As the warship drew near, the crew soon spotted a small boat moored at the edge of the snow island, its hull bobbing gently.
It seemed someone had landed on the island, but the boat was small, with no pirate flag in sight, ruling out a pirate crew.
Alex assigned a dozen sailors to scour the island for supplies. Meanwhile, he sat cross-legged, practicing the Yi Jin Jing to soothe his weary muscles and recharge.
"Lieutenant, trouble! There are pirates on the island…"
Barely half an hour later, several sailors staggered back, bloodied and battered, their shouts ringing with urgency. Every one of them bore fresh wounds.
"Pirates? What kind of pirates?" Alex sprang to his feet, his brow furrowing as he pressed for details.
This island was small, just a few miles across. No pirate ships were nearby. How could pirates be hiding here?
"Three pirates from the Donquixote Family are ganging up on a swordsman, maybe 15 or 16 years old. The three Donquixote pirates—two women and one man—seem to be Devil Fruit users. One woman summons weapons out of thin air, another has bird wings and legs, and the man's got a propeller around his neck, flying in the sky…"
Answering Alex's question, the sailors hurriedly relayed what they'd seen, their voices tense with alarm.
"Donquixote Family pirates?" At this, Alex's frown deepened, his mind racing.
"Could it be Buffalo, Baby-5, and Monet from the Donquixote Family?"
Alex's memory of the Donquixote Family's roster kicked in. From the sailors' descriptions alone, he pinpointed their identities with eerie accuracy.
Three of them, ambushing a 15- or 16-year-old swordsman? Could it be…
A sudden hunch struck him, and Alex immediately demanded the pirates' location, rallying every sailor on the warship to move out as one.
After trekking for about ten minutes, the clash of steel and shouts of combat echoed ahead.
A short distance later, Alex could clearly see the battlefield unfolding before him.
Though the timeline was a decade before the original One Piece story, Alex instantly recognized the foes. It was indeed Buffalo, Baby-5, and Monet of the Donquixote Family, their silhouettes unmistakable.
Judging by their youthful appearances, they were young—Buffalo and Monet around 18 or 19, Baby-5 a fiery girl of 15 or 16.
Immediately, Alex's gaze locked onto the young swordsman cornered by the trio.
The boy, about 15 or 16, sported a cozy leopard-spotted fur hat, wielding a massive long sword in his hands. Besieged by the three Donquixote pirates, he was visibly struggling, outmatched and overwhelmed.
"Trafalgar Law?" Taking in the swordsman's distinctive attire, Alex's gut told him this was none other than Law, his identity clicking into place.
However, this was ten years before the original story, and his Devil Fruit powers seemed underdeveloped, his strength a far cry from the formidable Law of a decade later.
"Navy?" As Alex approached with over 20 sailors in tow, the Donquixote pirates paused, eyeing him warily, their stances tense.
"Hey, this is Donquixote Family business—stay out of it!" Buffalo barked with brazen arrogance, his voice booming as he glared at Alex.
Spotting the Navy lieutenant's cloak draped over Alex's shoulders, he knew instantly who led the group.
"Donquixote Family, huh? Pirates are pirates…" Alex shot back, his expression cool and unflinched, his voice steady as steel.
Using the Donquixote Family's name to intimidate him? Where did this guy get such nerve?
"Don't you know? A month ago, the Navy floated the Seven Warlords of the Sea plan, and they're negotiating with our Young Master to join. Once it's official, the Donquixote Family will be legal pirates." Alex's defiance caught Buffalo off guard, and he retorted with a smug grin, his words dripping with confidence.
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea plan? It's already in motion?" Alex's heart stirred, a ripple of surprise coursing through him.